College Basketball · Big Ten · 2026-27
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
1-0 · Coach Steve Pikiell
Power Rankings
#96▲5
Who is best right now.
+9.7points per 100 possessions vs an average D-I team
Last week: +7.6 (#101)
Preseason: #101
Full Power Rankings → Compare to another teamRating breakdown
Adjusted for every opponent and home court. Power = offense minus defense.
Projected record
14-16
- Conference record
- 7-13
- Conference title
- 0%
- Outright title
- 0%
- Luck
- +0.0
Actual results so far plus the rest of the seasonplayed out 10,000 times with the win chance for each game (non-Division I opponents count as 97% wins). The title is the regular-season crown; conference tournaments aren't included. Later rounds of holiday tournaments are added once the opponent is known.
Why #101 in the preseason
What the computer saw going in
- →Last season: #131 in the country (+3.7), 14-20.
- →53% of last season's minutes are back.
- →4 transfers in, led by Darin Smith Jr. (Central Connecticut, 20.7 ppg), Rasheed Jones (Coastal Carolina, 14.7 ppg), Christian Gurdak (Virginia Tech, 5.6 ppg). Transfers moving up a level are counted cautiously.
- →1 ranked freshman: Imahri Wooten (#218).
- →Lost Dylan Grant (9.5 ppg, now at Charlotte), Emmanuel Ogbole (4.7 ppg), Harun Zrno (6.5 ppg, now at Washington).
The preseason rating counts for about five games, then real results take over.
Teams like Rutgers
The closest matches across all 365 Division I teams, based on the current ratings.
This season
Everyone who has played, most minutes first: per-game numbers from the box scores, updated after every game.
| Player | G · GS | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tariq FrancisG · Senior · #351 ranked | 1 · 1 | 24.0 | 14.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 35.7 (5-14) | 16.7 (1-6) | 100.0 (3-3) |
| Darren Buchanan Jr.G · Senior · #1454 ranked | 1 · 1 | 22.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 50.0 (2-4) | 100.0 (1-1) | 0.0 (0-2) |
| Darin Smith Jr.G · Junior · #649 ranked | 1 · 1 | 21.0 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 50.0 (4-8) | 25.0 (1-4) | 0.0 (0-1) |
| Rasheed JonesG · Senior · #1017 ranked | 1 · 0 | 19.0 | 14.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 83.3 (5-6) | 80.0 (4-5) | — (0-0) |
| Jamichael DavisG · Senior · #888 ranked | 1 · 0 | 19.0 | 13.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 100.0 (5-5) | 100.0 (1-1) | 100.0 (2-2) |
| Lino MarkG · Sophomore · #1815 ranked | 1 · 1 | 19.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 25.0 (1-4) | 33.3 (1-3) | 50.0 (1-2) |
| Christian GurdakC · Sophomore · #502 ranked | 1 · 1 | 17.0 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 66.7 (4-6) | — (0-0) | 100.0 (4-4) |
| Diego GaravagliaG · Freshman | 1 · 0 | 15.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 33.3 (1-3) | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) |
| Mervedi MiteoF · Freshman | 1 · 0 | 12.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 33.3 (1-3) | — (0-0) | 100.0 (1-1) |
| Imahri WootenG · Freshman · #3026 ranked | 1 · 0 | 11.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 50.0 (1-2) | — (0-0) | 0.0 (0-1) |
| Gevonte WareC · Sophomore · #2886 ranked | 1 · 0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) | 50.0 (1-2) |
| Will SydnorF · Junior | 1 · 0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 50.0 (1-2) | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) |
| Martin TonejcF · Freshman | 1 · 0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — (0-0) | — (0-0) | — (0-0) |
| Dorin BucaC · Senior · #1389 ranked | 1 · 0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) | — (0-0) |
| Max FradkinG · Junior | 1 · 0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 (0-1) | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) |
Projected rotation
The preseason model's minutes projection for each player with a track record (college stats or a recruiting rank), most minutes first. Players without one aren't projected here; This season above lists everyone who has played.
| Player | How he got here | Proj. min | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tariq FrancisG · Senior |  Returning | 28 | 17 pts · 2.3 reb · 2.9 ast |
| Jamichael DavisG · Senior | Returning | 25 | 7.5 pts · 2.9 reb · 2.5 ast |
| Darren Buchanan Jr.G · Senior | Returning | 23 | 8.1 pts · 3.9 reb · 1.7 ast |
| Rasheed JonesG · Senior |  Transfer from Coastal Carolina | 22 | 14.7 pts · 4.6 reb · 2.8 ast |
| Christian GurdakC · Sophomore |  Transfer from Virginia Tech | 21 | 5.6 pts · 4.4 reb · 0.4 ast |
| Darin Smith Jr.G · Junior |  Transfer from Central Connecticut | 20 | 20.7 pts · 5.4 reb · 1.2 ast |
| Lino MarkG · Sophomore | Returning | 17 | 5.9 pts · 1.8 reb · 1.2 ast |
| Dorin BucaC · Senior |  Transfer from Kansas State | 16 | 3.2 pts · 3.3 reb · 0.5 ast |
| Kaden PowersG · Sophomore | Returning | 14 | 6.1 pts · 1.8 reb · 1.5 ast |
| Imahri WootenG · Freshman | Freshman · #218 recruit | 8 | — |
| Gevonte WareC · Sophomore | Returning | 5 | 0.3 pts · 0.5 reb · 0 ast |
Gone from last season: Dylan Grant (9.5 ppg, to 
Charlotte), Emmanuel Ogbole (4.7 ppg), Harun Zrno (6.5 ppg, to 
Washington), Bryce Ruglass Dortch (2.1 ppg, to 
Notre Dame), Denis Badalau (3.1 ppg, to 
Towson), Chris Nwuli (2.2 ppg)
Roster
Everyone on this season's roster, with this season's numbers for anyone who has played. Names link to player pages, ranked players first.
| # | Player | How he got here | Pos | Class | Ht / Wt | Hometown | This season | Last season | Rank · Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Tariq Francis | Returning | G | Senior | 6-1 · 180 | Pittsburgh, PA | 14.0 pts · 1.0 reb · 2.0 ast (1 G) | 17.0 pts · 2.3 reb · 2.9 ast (34 G) | #351 · +1.11 |
| 32 | Christian Gurdak | Transfer from Virginia Tech | C | Sophomore | 6-10 · 265 | Charles Town, WV | 12.0 pts · 4.0 reb · 3.0 ast (1 G) | 5.6 pts · 4.4 reb · 0.4 ast (31 G) | #502 · +0.87 |
| 4 | Darin Smith Jr. | Transfer from Central Connecticut | G | Junior | 6-7 · 210 | Springfield, MA | 9.0 pts · 6.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 20.7 pts · 5.4 reb · 1.2 ast (30 G) | #649 · +0.71 |
| 1 | Jamichael Davis | Returning | G | Senior | 6-2 · 180 | Chattanooga, TN | 13.0 pts · 5.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 7.5 pts · 2.9 reb · 2.5 ast (34 G) | #888 · +0.47 |
| 7 | Rasheed Jones | Transfer from Coastal Carolina | G | Senior | 6-6 · 190 | Marion, IN | 14.0 pts · 1.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | 14.7 pts · 4.6 reb · 2.8 ast (32 G) | #1017 · +0.37 |
| 22 | Dorin Buca | Transfer from Kansas State | C | Senior | 7-2 · 286 | Perugia, Italy | 0.0 pts · 1.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 3.2 pts · 3.3 reb · 0.5 ast (27 G) | #1389 · +0.15 |
| 5 | Darren Buchanan Jr. | Returning | G | Senior | 6-7 · 240 | Washington, DC | 5.0 pts · 3.0 reb · 3.0 ast (1 G) | 8.1 pts · 3.9 reb · 1.7 ast (34 G) | #1454 · +0.12 |
| 2 | Lino Mark | Returning | G | Sophomore | 6-2 · 185 | Los Angeles, CA | 4.0 pts · 3.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 5.9 pts · 1.8 reb · 1.2 ast (33 G) | #1815 · -0.04 |
| 3 | Kaden Powers | Returning | G | Sophomore | 6-4 · 195 | Seattle, WA | Hasn't played | 6.1 pts · 1.8 reb · 1.5 ast (29 G) | #2473 · -0.29 |
| 15 | Gevonte Ware | Returning | C | Sophomore | 6-9 · 255 | Roosevelt, NY | 1.0 pts · 3.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | 0.3 pts · 0.5 reb · 0.0 ast (6 G) | #2886 · -0.45 |
| 6 | Imahri Wooten | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-5 · 195 | Troy, NY | 2.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | — | #3026 · -0.50 |
| 33 | Diego Garavaglia | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-7 · 210 | Milan, Italy | 2.0 pts · 2.0 reb · 2.0 ast (1 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 23 | Martin Tonejc | Freshman | F | Freshman | 6-7 · 210 | Jesenice, Slovenia | 0.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 27 | Mervedi Miteo | Freshman | F | Freshman | 6-10 · 265 | Kinshasa, Congo | 3.0 pts · 2.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 24 | Max Fradkin | Returning | G | Junior | 5-11 · 170 | Southbury, CT | 0.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 9 | Will Sydnor |  Transfer from Manhattan | F | Junior | 6-8 · 210 | Bronx, NY | 2.0 pts · 2.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
Schedule
Projected scores and win chances come from the current ratings and update every morning.
| Nov 6 |  vsNew Haven | W81-54Box score → |
| Still to play · computer projections | ||
| Nov 10 |  vsNJIT | Projected 84-60RUTG: 98% to winRutgers: 98% to win Compare |
| Nov 13 |  vsBryant | Projected 83-60RUTG: 98% to winRutgers: 98% to win Compare |
| Nov 17 |  vs (N)#5HoustonPlayers Era 8 | Projected 65-80RUTG: 10% to winRutgers: 10% to win Compare |
| Nov 18 | Players Era 8Round 2 | Opponent TBD |
| Nov 19 | Players Era 8Championship or placement game | Opponent TBD |
| Nov 24 |  vsSacred Heart | Projected 86-65RUTG: 97% to winRutgers: 97% to win Compare |
| Dec 1 |  atIndianaConference | Projected 70-82RUTG: 17% to winRutgers: 17% to win Compare |
| Dec 9 |  vs#13MichiganConference | Projected 73-83RUTG: 20% to winRutgers: 20% to win Compare |
| Dec 12 |  vsSeton HallGarden State Hardwood Classic | Projected 69-70RUTG: 47% to winRutgers: 47% to win Compare |
| Dec 16 |  vsSaint Peter's | Projected 77-60RUTG: 94% to winRutgers: 94% to win Compare |
| Dec 20 |  vsArmy | Projected 83-63RUTG: 95% to winRutgers: 95% to win Compare |
| Dec 29 |  vsDelaware State | Projected 83-57RUTG: 99% to winRutgers: 99% to win Compare |
| Jan 2 |  atPurdueConference | Projected 70-77RUTG: 27% to winRutgers: 27% to win Compare |
| Jan 5 |  vs#20UCLAConference | Projected 72-80RUTG: 24% to winRutgers: 24% to win Compare |
| Jan 8 |  vsUSCConference | Projected 75-79RUTG: 35% to winRutgers: 35% to win Compare |
| Jan 12 |  vsIowaConference | Projected 69-74RUTG: 34% to winRutgers: 34% to win Compare |
| Jan 16 |  atNorthwesternConference | Projected 71-78RUTG: 27% to winRutgers: 27% to win Compare |
| Jan 19 |  atMarylandConference | Projected 74-78RUTG: 37% to winRutgers: 37% to win Compare |
| Jan 23 |  vsMinnesotaConference | Projected 70-71RUTG: 49% to winRutgers: 49% to win Compare |
| Jan 27 |  atOregonConference | Projected 73-80RUTG: 27% to winRutgers: 27% to win Compare |
| Jan 30 | atWashingtonConference | Projected 73-78RUTG: 36% to winRutgers: 36% to win Compare |
| Feb 3 | vsPurdueConference | Projected 73-74RUTG: 46% to winRutgers: 46% to win Compare |
| Feb 6 |  vs (N)SyracuseEmpire Classic | Projected 72-77RUTG: 34% to winRutgers: 34% to win Compare |
| Feb 10 |  at#6Michigan StateConference | Projected 66-84RUTG: 6% to winRutgers: 6% to win Compare |
| Feb 13 |  vsWisconsinConference | Projected 75-76RUTG: 47% to winRutgers: 47% to win Compare |
| Feb 16 |  at#7NebraskaConference | Projected 65-82RUTG: 7% to winRutgers: 7% to win Compare |
| Feb 20 |  vsPenn StateConference | Projected 82-76RUTG: 71% to winRutgers: 71% to win Compare |
| Feb 25 |  atOhio StateConference | Projected 72-82RUTG: 19% to winRutgers: 19% to win Compare |
| Feb 28 | vsMarylandConference | Projected 78-75RUTG: 59% to winRutgers: 59% to win Compare |
| Mar 3 |  vs#4IllinoisConference | Projected 71-85RUTG: 12% to winRutgers: 12% to win Compare |
| Mar 7 | atPenn StateConference | Projected 79-80RUTG: 50% to winRutgers: 50% to win Compare |
Big Ten standings
| # | Team | Conf | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2 | Michigan State | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 4 | UCLA | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 5 | Indiana | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 6 | Iowa | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 7 | USC | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| 8 | Northwestern | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 9 | Oregon | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 11 | Minnesota | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 12 | Washington | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| 13 | Rutgers | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| 14 | Penn State | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 15 | Michigan | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 16 | Ohio State | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 17 | Maryland | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 18 | Purdue | 0-0 | 0-2 |